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Zach Wilt: What makes a rivalry?

May 28, 2013, 4:44am

Orioles

The purists tell me that interleague play doesn't belong in baseball. If they're fans of the National League, they despise the use of the designated hitter, and if they root for a team in the American League, vise versa. Personally, I've never understood the disdain on either side. In fact, interleague rivalry week is one of my favorite parts of the long baseball season. What makes a true sports rivalry? Some people argue that because the Orioles and Nationals don't play in the same...

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Marty Niland: Looks like Strasburg has learned his lesson

May 27, 2013, 4:26am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Looks like Strasburg has learned his lesson

Two weeks ago, Stephen Strasburg was taken to task in this space for basically acting childish on the mound. He lost his composure after a throwing error in a scoreless game against the Chicago Cubs, allowing four unearned runs to score and letting the game get out of hand. It was a game he - and just about all Nationals fans - would like to forget. It seems that's exactly what happened. In three starts since that tragic outing at Nationals Park, Strasburg has pitched more like the mature...

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Domenic Vadala: Some thoughts on the Battle of the Beltways

May 26, 2013, 8:59am

Orioles

Domenic Vadala: Some thoughts on the Battle of the Beltways

First off, I want to offer my thanks to our nation's veterans who we celebrate today on this Memorial Day. I hope that all Americans remember that we should keep the heroism of our nation's service members in mind on all days, not only today. My late grandfather, Dr. Anthony Launi, was a World War II veteran, and later a catcher in the Washington Senators' minor league system before settling in Bethesda to practice dentistry and raise his family, which included my mother. Today is also a...

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Matthew Taylor: Ballpark franks aren't the answer in Toronto

May 24, 2013, 5:37am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Ballpark franks aren't the answer in Toronto

I can't watch the Orioles play in Toronto without thinking of my trips to see games there in its pre-2005 SkyDome days. Both of those visits were memorable in their own right - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has neglected to convert kilometers to miles upon first driving into Canada. However, it was the latter adventure some nine years ago that nearly landed me in a Major League Baseball video. The purpose of my trip to the Great White North was to attend an academic conference. I was a...

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Rachel Levitin: It's tough to predict whether Nats will rebound from struggles

May 23, 2013, 9:58am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: It's tough to predict whether Nats will rebound from struggles

At the end of each month of play last season, I remember sitting down along side some of my fellow Nats bloggers and chatting up a storm about how we just couldn't believe how well this team was doing week in and week out. No one wanted to get ahead of themselves by predicting a possible extraordinary outcome in fear of jinxing the team. Now the team that proved itself worthy of the postseason (despite an early exit in the first round), is struggling to find its footing. The Nationals are...

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Anthony Amobi: Gausman to the rescue?

May 23, 2013, 5:04am

Orioles

Tonight will be quite an event for the Orioles and their fans as Kevin Gausman - one of the organization's top pitching prospects - takes the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays. The fans have wanted him called up for a while, and they have gotten their wish. As of early last week, executive vice president Dan Duquette noted to the media that Gausman would not be in line for a promotion to the majors soon; however, considering the precarious state of the starting rotation, the Orioles may...

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Neal Shaffer: Was O's frustrating skid a necessary evil?

May 22, 2013, 5:03am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: Was O's frustrating skid a necessary evil?

Now that it's over, thanks to Nate McLouth and his walk-off 10th-inning heroics, I feel comfortable stating the less-than-obvious: Thank goodness for that six-game losing streak. Perhaps that sounds odd at best, a little stupid at worst. It should. But dig a little deeper with me and I think you'll see what I mean. It was just a week ago in this space that I declared the O's a good team and talked about how strange it was to adjust to the idea that they're no longer a band of losers. So,...

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David Huzzard: Inside the Nats' offensive struggles

May 22, 2013, 4:53am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Inside the Nats' offensive struggles

There is no possible way to make it sound good that the Nationals' offense has scored only 3.41 runs a game and OPS'd a measly .654. In most offensive categories, they are better than only the Marlins. The Nats have faced a lot of good pitchers and good teams early in the season, and that has something to do with the poor offense, but that doesn't make it this dreadful. In April, the issue was that the Nationals got no offense from the third and first base positions as they put up an OPS...

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Zach Wilt: Breaking down Jim Johnson's struggles

May 21, 2013, 5:41am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Breaking down Jim Johnson's struggles

Last season, Jim Johnson blew three saves in 54 chances, while this year, he's blown three consecutive opportunities. The Orioles closer is scuffling and the team is stuck in a season-worst six-game losing streak. Johnson has allowed eight earned runs in his last three appearances and has watched his ERA jump from 0.95 to 4.22. Arguably one of the best at his craft a season ago, Johnson is a unique breed of closer. He doesn't overpower hitters or record high strikeout totals; he forces...

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Ted Leavengood: Is it time to fish or cut bait?

May 21, 2013, 5:20am

Nationals

Ted Leavengood: Is it time to fish or cut bait?

The end of a tough road trip may not be the right moment, but the time is coming for the 2013 Nationals to fish or cut bait. The basic facts were laid out in a USA Today article Monday that cited the Nationals' offense as 29th in batting average and OBP, and 27th in runs scored among major league teams. It did not get better last night as another struggling pitcher, Ryan Vogelsong, found his A-game against the Nationals, crafting a three-hit shutout over five innings before leaving with a...

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Ted Leavengood: A glass half-full

May 13, 2013, 3:46pm

Nationals

Losing two home games against the Chicago Cubs is disheartening and, after the excellent game Friday night, it was as if a switch just flipped and the progress of the prior week vanished in the flash of a Stephen Strasburg meltdown. There wasn't much to like on Saturday and Sunday unless you are a ticket rep for the Nationals. They are selling ducats like snow cones in 100-degree heat. Sky-high expectations bring in the fans and despite the cool weather and the failure of the real Nationals...

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Domenic Vadala: Do the Orioles need to trade for a top starting pitcher?

May 20, 2013, 9:06am

Orioles

Orioles pitching has been the elephant in the room all season long, and to a certain degree, it came to a bit of a head last week and this weekend. First off, while starters going deep into games has been an issue all season, I'm also a firm believer in not letting one bad start get you down. While Jason Hammel has struggled through his last few starts, he never struggled as much as he did Friday night against Tampa Bay. However, he can't allow that to seep into his mind, otherwise he won't...

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Matthew Taylor: Some context on Johnson's consecutive saves record

May 17, 2013, 5:15am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Some context on Johnson's consecutive saves record

Jim Johnson's consecutive saves streak ended at 35 games Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. Johnson's streak was one better than Randy Myers' previous Orioles record of 34 and one worse than Mariano Rivera's personal best of 36. Eric Gagne is in a world all his own with his major league record of 84 consecutive saves for the Los Angeles Dodgers. While it's interesting to see how Johnson's run stacks up to those of other great relievers, the more remarkable context is...

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Rachel Levitin: A little perspective, please

May 16, 2013, 5:21am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A little perspective, please

After this past weekend's series loss to one of the worst teams in baseball and a pair of losses in Los Angeles this week, the Nationals continue to battle in their pursuit of meeting the expectations imposed upon them. But here's the thing: For all the hiccups this team has encountered, they're still just one game behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East. To me, this season is all about perspective for the Nationals and their fans. Who could have ever predicted the...

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Neal Shaffer: Embracing a dilemma at the season's quarter-pole

May 15, 2013, 4:57am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: Embracing a dilemma at the season's quarter-pole

The 40-game mark, the quarter pole, has traditionally been one of the first real mile markers of the baseball season. It's the point at which we can no longer say, "Yeah, but it's early." By 40 games in, there's a sense of things. A lot will still happen, but the season is no longer a series of maybes. As the Orioles close in on that mark for 2013, it's safe to say they're off to a hell of a start. Here they stand at 23-16 with a 14-9 mark away from Camden Yards. They've scored 192...

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David Huzzard: Advanced metrics hint that Suzuki would flourish in two-hole

May 14, 2013, 3:42pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: Advanced metrics hint that Suzuki would flourish in two-hole

Danny Espinosa, Steve Lombardozzi and Roger Bernadina all have something in common - and they shouldn't. Each and every one of them has an under-.300 on-base percentage and all of them have batted second. Overall, Nationals No. 2 hitters are hitting .176/.216/.275. That isn't just bad production, that is horrid. The plan for the Nationals was to have career .267/.361/.460 hitter Jayson Werth in that spot, but that hasn't worked out as Werth moved down in the order when Ryan Zimmerman was...

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Zach Wilt: Has Pedro Strop bounced back?

May 13, 2013, 3:52pm

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Has Pedro Strop bounced back?

Coming off a stellar performance in the World Baseball Classic, the Orioles seemed very optimistic about Pedro Strop heading into the 2013 season. Buck Showalter leaned heavily on him through much of 2012, until Strop struggled with pitch location in September and into the postseason. In Strop's final 11 regular season outings, he surrendered six earned runs over 7 1/3 innings pitched, issued eight walks and struck out seven. Opponents were hitting .371 against him with a .444 BABIP (Batting...

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Domenic Vadala: Anatomy of a comeback

May 12, 2013, 5:08pm

Orioles

We all saw what happened Friday night, as the Orioles came back and defeated the Minnesota Twins after being down 6-0. Six runs isn't the greatest comeback of all time, however there's certainly a difference between that and being down by one or two. I think that in all sports there comes a point in a game where a team feels somewhat secure in its lead. In the NFL, I'd say that a 21-point lead is fairly safe, and the same would be true of a 15-point lead in the NBA. Minnesota had the...

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Marty Niland: Nats must learn to overcome their own failures - and success

May 12, 2013, 6:08pm

Nationals

Marty Niland: Nats must learn to overcome their own failures - and success

A baseball team can't win on talent alone. It also takes discipline, maturity and courage, qualities that key members of the Nationals seemed to be lacking against the Chicago Cubs this weekend. In dropping games Saturday and Sunday to the last-place team in the National Legaue Central, the Nats' 24-year-old pitching phenom and 70-year-old manager both showed they have something to learn about handling both adversity and success. Stephen Strasburg has shown plenty of talent since the Nats...

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Matthew Taylor: Enjoying the ride

May 10, 2013, 6:00am

Orioles

The Orioles enter the weekend with a 21-14 record, in a three-way tie for first place in the American League East with the Red Sox and Yankees. If you've followed baseball long enough, you've likely developed the reserved reflex that is so common to the sport. It's the one that produces programmed responses to good news, led by the many variations of "it's early." We're not supposed to get excited about individual efforts yet because of sample size, and as for teams, well, "It's a...